Caribbean, Florida brace for powerful hurricane
MIAMI (AFP) — Irma, a still strengthening and dangerous Category Four hurricane, churned toward the Leeward Islands early yesterday, sparking alarm and alerts from the Caribbean to Florida, which declared an emergency.
The National Hurricane Center said at 0300 GMT that the storm was packing top sustained winds of 220 kilometers per hour.
“Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours,” the NHC warned.
The threat comes as Texas and Louisiana are still cleaning up from disastrous flooding caused by mighty Hurricane Harvey last weekend.
Irma’s center was about 660 kilometers east of the Leeward Islands, grinding westward at 20 kilometers per hour, the NHC said.
“On the forecast track, the center of Irma will move near or over portions of the northern Leeward Islands tonight and early tomorrow.”
“Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” it stressed.
A Category Four storm on the Saffir Simpson scale is capable of doing widespread major structural and infrastructure damage; it can easily tear off roofing, shatter windows, uproot palm trees and turn them into projectiles that can kill people.
Category Four strength was the maximum attained by Harvey, which dumped as many as 50 inches of rain in some parts of Houston, turning neighborhoods into lakes.